The Flyer & The Frat Star

The Study Session

Josephine

I managed to make it through the rest of the weekend without running into Hero, but that didn't stop me from thinking about him. I wasn't hitting my stunts during practice because I was so in my head about some stupid boy who's probably not even giving me a second thought. On Monday morning, I resolved to forget all about him and focus on school and cheerleading. I have to stay focused. This is my dream.

"See you at practice, girl," Khadijha rushes out of our room to make her first class. I still have thirty minutes until my first class, English Literature, starts, so I decide to grab some coffee with Shane on our way to the Humanities building. I throw on a pair of leggings, an oversized sweatshirt, and my sneakers before throwing my hair up into a messy bun and putting my glasses on. I have officially adopted the tired college student look for the semester. Even after just one week of practices, I'm utterly exhausted. Varsity practices are definitely more intense than JV, and I simply don't have the energy to put any effort into my appearance.

I take my seat at the front of the class before booting my laptop up and getting my notebook ready. I'm still 15 minutes early, so I just pass the time scrolling through cheer videos on Instagram and sipping on my latte.

"Hi, uh, Professor?" I hear that familiar British accent right in front of me. Hero is standing at the professor's desk dressed in his usual t-shirt and jogger combo. What the hell is he doing in this class? He wasn't here last week. "I just transferred into this class, so I was wondering if you had an extra copy of the syllabus." That explains in. Of course he would transfer into my class. The universe just hates me. After receiving the syllabus from the professor, he turns around, his eyes locking with mine briefly before making his way to the back of the room. Focus, Josephine. Don't think about his dreamy eyes. Don't think about the fact that you look like you just rolled out of bed.

I make it through the class, somehow managing to pay attention at least partially. I pack up my things and race to exit the room. "Josephine!" I hear his voice call out from behind me, and as much as I want to ignore him, I can't deny this pull that I have to be around him.

"Oh, hi, Hero," I adjust my glasses on the bridge of my nose and avoid all eye contact.

"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior the other day. I guess I'm just not really used to having friends. I don't know how to act." How could someone like him struggle with having friends? I guess having girls falling at your feet is different than a friend, though.

"Isn't Sam your friend?" I ask, finally looking directly at him. He looks genuinely nervous. It's odd to see him so out of his element and unlike his confident self.

"Not really. He's more like an annoying little brother that I got stuck cleaning up after," he shrugs his shoulders. "But I guess he's the closest thing I have to a friend." I can't help but feel for him, I had a really hard time making friends once I moved over from Australia. Thank God Shane is so extroverted and spoke to me first in our religion class.

"Okay," I finally put him out of his misery.

"Okay, what?" He looks so young and hopeful.

"I'll be your friend," I giggle, and a beautiful smile comes across his face. "So, friend, why are you in a sophomore English class anyways?" We begin walking in the direction of my next class.

"Well, friend," he smirks, showing off that dimple of his that's been haunting my dreams. "I may or may not have failed it my sophomore year, and I've just been putting it off as long as I possibly could. English just is not my strong suit. Well, maybe school isn't my strong suit," he laughs, but I can tell he's slightly ashamed of his admittance.